Government Orders
Madam Speaker, so far this morning the members for Kingston and the Islands, Winnipeg North and Vancouver Granville all alleged that the member for Wellington—Halton Hills knew about the foreign interference and the threats to his family. The member for Wellington—Halton Hills has stated that the briefing he received from CSIS was general in nature and did not contain any specific threats concerni…
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Madam Speaker, in response to the member opposite's good-faith question, the reality is that it is the Liberal House leader who will ultimately make the decision when each of the bills before Parliament is brought to a vote. It is a negotiation with the Liberals' coalition partners, the NDP, and the official opposition, the Conservatives. I spoke in good faith to Bill S-6. Many of the regulations …
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Mr. Speaker, your home, my home, our home, let us bring it home and stand with petitioners in Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon who want federal action to combat the vandalism and theft of telecommunications infrastructure. While these crimes are not considered to cause actual danger to life in the context of the Criminal Code, and thus are not prosecuted as severely as they otherwise would be, they c…
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Madam Speaker, it is an honour to be in the chamber once again, and I am pleased to rise to speak to Bill S-6. The stated purpose of the bill is to “reduce administrative burden for business, facilitate digital interactions with government, simplify regulatory processes, make exemptions from certain regulatory requirements to test new products, and make cross-border trade easier through more consi…
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Madam Speaker, I think my hon. colleague forgot to point out that we need to abolish the Indian Act. I also said that in my debate tonight. We have so much work to do. It is not me stating that they want economic reconciliation. It is the Stó:lo Nation pushing to have more control over forestry tenure so that it can take control of its own resources. That is why I am pleased to outline again that …
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Madam Speaker, every Canadian, even Quebeckers who do not believe in Canada, has the right to vote according to their conscience, and to even vote for an elected Senate.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Saanich—Gulf Islands for the good-faith question. On the redistribution process, the member knows that Fraser Canyon and all of those communities have a special place in my heart, as they do for her. I think Ashcroft is like the Sedona of Canada. It has such a bright future. There are so many amazing things going on there. It is one of the few ecological zo…
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Madam Speaker, let me just say equal, elected and effective. The first action I ever took as a Canadian in a democratic process was to put a wonderful reform party of Canada sign on my dad's front lawn. From that day on I learned about how the Senate has under-represented my province since its inception into Confederation and that one day, through economic reconciliation with first nations, we mig…
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Madam Speaker, that is right, we need to streamline regulations where necessary and strengthen regulations to protect our food here in Canada. We have a lot of work to do. Sometimes we need to streamline regulations. Other times, we need to strengthen them to meet demands and bring our economy into the 21st century.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise as the co-chair of the Canada-Netherlands Parliamentary Friendship Group to recognize the very special bond between these two countries. In anticipation of May 5, Dutch Heritage Day, we will be celebrating in Ottawa this afternoon. In Holland, May 5 is, of course, the day Dutch people celebrate Bevrijdingsdag, or Liberation Day, when Canadian soldiers played a maj…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I thank all of the members of the House of Commons for having another wonderful debate on an important piece of legislation, which is about biosecurity on our farms across Canada. Before I begin, the member for Foothills is not only a gentleman, a scholar and a pretty good hockey player for a dude in his 50s, but he has also always brought forward some really excellent legislation tha…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, from your home, my home and all our homes, let us bring it home with direct flights to Amritsar. Petitioners in Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon are calling on the Government of Canada to amend the air transport agreement with India to allow for direct flights to Amritsar to serve the one million-plus Punjabi Canadians who are looking for this flight. It makes economic sense. It makes cu…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Montreal mentioned the tool tax credit at the beginning of her speech. That is one provision in the budget that I think a lot of people in the trades are happy about. That said, at the same time the budget was announced, Statistics Canada outlined that there is a statistical drop in the number of people who are self-employed and starting businesses in this country. I…
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Mr. Speaker, on page 84 of the budget, it says, “Projected costs of this agreement”, in reference to the battery manufacturing plant by Volkswagen, “have been fully accounted for in Budget 2023.” Can the minister point out to this House or, maybe at a later date, table how the Volkswagen announcement has in fact been accounted for in the projections put forward by the government?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I feel as though I am living in a dystopian fantasyland, as outlined in the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, and hearing doublespeak. For everything the minister says, we should assume the opposite is the truth. The reality, in this country, is that self-employment is dropping off a statistical cliff and, as a result, fewer homes are being built. Therefore, I will ask this again: When wi…
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Madam Speaker, we know that the federal registry is not enough to fight money laundering because most small and medium-sized businesses in Canada are regulated by the individual provinces and territories. Does my Bloc Québécois colleague think that the Government of Quebec could enter into an agreement with the federal government to improve the federal level's capacity to fight money laundering wh…
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Madam Speaker, I know that the Bloc Québécois will be supporting this bill. I would like to know if they are open to accepting some amendments to protect the privacy of small and medium-sized businesses and individuals, in certain cases, and to create more rules so that this work is not left to the civil servants after the bill is passed. Is the Bloc Québécois open to protecting confidentiality in…
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Madam Speaker, for those in the middle class and those working hard to join it, it has been eight years of these Liberals, and things have never been more unaffordable. Despite committing $90 billion to housing, people cannot find a place to live. The average rent and mortgage have doubled, and home prices have skyrocketed. It costs $2,500 a month for a couple to rent one room in a townhouse. That…
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Madam Speaker, another question on where the government stands on possible amendments relates to the impact of significant interests. Under the legislation, only individuals with over a 25% interest in a corporation would be covered under the beneficial ownership registry before us today. Is the government open to making amendments to the law that would lower the threshold of significant interest?…
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Madam Speaker, overall, as the member for Winnipeg North summarized, we have been having a pretty comprehensive debate on Bill C-42. There have been suggested amendments from each party, with broad unanimity that we need to take further action to combat money laundering in Canada and its impact on the housing market. I was particularly pleased that a number of members on all sides raised the Culle…
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Madam Speaker, one of the concerns I have with the bill is the ability of law enforcement agencies in Canada to use the information in a correct way to go after money launderers and those who would be committing crimes under the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act. I was pleased to see that the member for Richmond Hill referenced the Cullen commission in British Columb…
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Mr. Speaker, the member for Nepean raised two areas of amendment: on disclosure of information, such as citizenship, and on the significant interest threshold, which members on our side have raised during the debate today as well. I would like the member's opinion about whether the Liberal Party is open to further amendments on the penalties for corporations and individuals. In some cases, penalti…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, today, I am pleased to table a petition on behalf of Punjabi Canadians across Canada who are calling on the government to establish direct flights between a Canadian international airport and Amritsar in the Punjab. We have over one million Canadians of Punjabi descent. It makes economic sense. It is good for business. It is good for culture. Let us get it done.
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Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member for Longueuil—Saint‑Hubert on his spirited speech. In my province of British Columbia, the birth rate continues to decline, just like in Quebec. Would more births in Quebec help fix the language crisis? How can we encourage Quebeckers to have more babies?
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Mr. Speaker, when the previous speaker was up, I got a little animated, and I went across the floor. I had an issue that I wanted to raise. A more appropriate way for a parliamentarian to raise an issue is to stand on a point of order and go through the Speaker. I want to apologize to the House. I hold myself to a high standard of conduct, and I just want to apologize for going to the edge of the …
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of the Seabird Island First Nation. On June 23, 2022, Bill C-28 received royal assent. It allowed for extreme intoxication to be used as a defence for violent crimes, such as sexual assault, where a “reasonable person” would not have foreseen the risk of a violent loss of control. Residents are concerned about the impacts this will have on …
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With regard to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and the Canada Small Business Financing Program (CSBFP), broken down by fiscal years 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, and by province or territory: (a) how many businesses applied to the CSBFP; (b) how many loans were awarded; (c) what was the average loan amount; (d) of the loans awarded, how many were defaulted and what was the average…
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Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in my remarks, the Canadian aerospace regulations still fall behind those of countries such as the United States. I know that many companies in the aerospace sector have one thing in mind, and that is making a profit. How are they going to make a profit? They are going to make a profit if their planes are efficient and well maintained. That is how they are going to be g…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to share a few comments on the report entitled “Development and Support of the Aerospace Industry”, tabled by the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology of which I am a part. However, I will note that I did not participate actively in this study. That said, I cannot outline enough how important the aerospace industry is to the Fraser Valley, my riding…
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Mr. Speaker, when the floods happened, it was really frustrating for some people on the ground in the Fraser Valley that the Royal Canadian Air Force had to ship equipment from the province of Quebec to serve the needs of British Columbia. A national aerospace strategy needs to look strategically at the capabilities of the Canadian military at large to respond to climate-related natural disasters …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology for his question today. It was a very long question. Perhaps I can answer the first part. It relates to the first recommendation in the report. I would like to know whether the Bloc Québécois would support a centre of excellence for the aerospace sector in British Columbia. Will the Bloc Québécois support the …
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With regard to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and the government’s 50-30 Challenge: (a) how many organizations applied to be a 50-30 Challenge Ecosystem Partner; (b) how were the five successful candidates chosen as Ecosystem Partners; (c) how was the distribution of the $28.5 million funding to the Ecosystem Partners determined; (d) how are the Ecosystem Partners expected to …
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise to table a petition signed by residents of Lytton, British Columbia. On June 30, 2021, wildfires engulfed the village of Lytton and surrounding areas, destroying the town and displacing hundreds of residents. With building yet to begin, the businesses in Lytton that accepted CEBA loans have no means of reopening and of repaying those loans. Residents of Lytton are calling…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, just this past Christmas, the Prime Minister and his family holidayed at a luxurious estate in Jamaica belonging to a wealthy family that just so happened to have recently made a large donation to the Trudeau Foundation. Who would have thought? While one in five Canadians are skipping meals, the Prime Minister's lavish and luxurious family trip cost taxpayers $160,000 for security and…
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Madam Speaker, the second petition calls upon the government to do more to combat human trafficking. Petitioners are particularly displeased about the egregious action the Government of Canada took in Bill C-5, which reduced sentencing and allows for house arrest for the crime of human trafficking. They want to see that aspect of Bill C-5 repealed.
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Madam Speaker, the third petition I am presenting today is calling upon the government to actually fulfill its commitment to allow for direct flights to Amritsar international through changes to the Canada-India Air Transport Agreement. We know the Government of Canada recently made amendments to the ATA with India, but it did not take that initial step of including Amritsar specifically in the ag…
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Madam Speaker, today I am pleased to table three petitions on behalf of constituents in Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon. The first petition calls upon the government to repeal Bill C-21. Hunting has a long-standing history in Canada for both indigenous and non-indigenous Canadians, and needlessly revoking citizens' firearms erases and discounts our history and traditions.
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate that my colleague from Nepean outlined the issue that probably needs to be studied the most in this legislation, and that is significant interest. I do not have a specific answer to his question right now, but we need to have that debate in Parliament about the impact of significant interest and corporate stacked ownership structures that need to be viewed in the light …
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate that very important question from my colleague from Winnipeg. One of the big gaps in this legislation is in clarifying the relationship between significant interests and the role trusts play in corporate structures at all levels of corporate registries in Canada right now and the impact that would have on the interoperability and the overall effectiveness of a corporate…
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Madam Speaker, regarding penalties, I want to think of the worst-case scenarios. For years, we have heard so many stories in British Columbia about why the Cullen Commission was put in place, about the impact of money laundering and the billions of dollars that have been laundered into corporations, largely at the provincial level. I do not want any fees or penalties to be seen as the cost of doin…
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Madam Speaker, some of these amendments would seek to determine the role of the provinces and territories in guaranteeing the interoperability of this registry. We must also study the Canada Corporations Act threshold.
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Madam Speaker, the objective of the Conservative Party on this legislation is to have a robust debate, in good faith, at second reading. There are a lot of experts in every party who have information on corporate trusts and how corporations are structured in Canada, and I think every party has something to contribute on that. We want to move quickly on this bill, but we also want to have a robust …
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Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for tabling this bill today. We are here today to debate Bill C-42, an act to amend the Canada Business Corporations Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other acts. The government's stated objective in introducing this legislation is to protect Canadians against money laundering and terrorist financing, deter tax evasion and tax avoidance, an…
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Madam Speaker, proposed subsection 21.303(3), “Exemption on application”, notes, “the Director may choose to not make it available to the public, subject to any terms that the Director thinks fit”. Under proposed subparagraph 21.303(3)(b)(iii), at the top of page 4, it says, “prescribed circumstances apply to the individual.” There is a lot of leeway in the bill, as it is currently written, for …
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Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would love to have a debate on the budget right now, but we are debating Bill C-11. It is a comprehensive bill. I hope the member will speak to it on his fifth, sixth or seventh iteration, as he speaks on it more than anyone else. I just hope he can stay on the subject a little longer before—
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Madam Speaker, as the great George Orwell said in 1984, “We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means, it is an end.” What we are seeing here today is one of the biggest power grabs on the individual freedoms of Canadians. If our leader, the member for Carleton, becomes Prime Minister of Canada, what will he do to reverse this power grab of the…
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Madam Speaker, on a point of order, it is incorrect for the member for New Westminster—Burnaby to state that Conservatives have not read Bill C-11—
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the new Apprenticeship Service announced in budget 2021: (a) how many employers applied to receive the $5,000 financial support (i) in 2021-22, (ii) between January 2022 and February 8, 2023; (b) how many employers applied to receive the $10,000 financial support (i) in 2021-22, (ii) between January 2022 and February 8, 2023; (c) how many first-year apprentices in (i) construction, …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, on February 27, I attended the District of Kent council meeting to proudly recognize the Agassiz Fire Department and its heroic actions during the floods and landslides that swept through my riding in 2021. Our small-town agricultural community was hit with not one but two landslides, trapping 311 people. It was no small task for the Agassiz Fire Department, which bravely rose to the …
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With regard to the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), broken down by industry under the North American Industry Classification System and province or territory: (a) in total, how many businesses applied for CEBA funding; (b) how many businesses were initially approved for CEBA funding but later deemed ineligible; (c) of the businesses in (b), how…
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